WASHINGTON - Saying that President Obama seemed “hell bent on killing” the proposed Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to Texas, U.S. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) blasted President Obama for rejecting the proposal.

Coble said “The President is killing a plan that would create 20,000 construction jobs and more than 100,000 support jobs down the road. This is 2012, and we can find a way to build a pipeline that is sensitive to the environment while delivering much-needed, North American-produced energy. I hope that Congress can find a way to circumvent this rejection and make the Keystone pipeline a reality.

“This oil will end up in China if we don’t find a way to build the Keystone pipeline and keep the project here in North America. We are richly blessed with an abundance of energy. I regret that our country has been reluctant to explore and develop it – while at the same time – being sensitive to the environment. ”